Tesco Wi-Fi to be free in-store

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Tesco is to take the initiative set by the likes of McDonald's and Starbucks. No, not by offering sub-standard burgers or overpriced coffee - but by giving its customers access to a free Wi-Fi network.

The move is part of Tesco's new CEO Philip Clarke's aims to expand growth for the UK's number one supermarket and is being overseen by Mike McNamara, Tesco’s chief information officer, who stated that it's either get on board the mobile web revolution, or get left behind.

"You can stand Canute-like and pretend nothing is happening . . . or you can say it’s happening, and I am going to help it happen," he said.

The plan is kicking off with a trial in four stores but McNamara said a widespread roll-out of free Wi-Fi could come very soon. The setups are in place as Tesco uses its own Wi-Fi networks for staff already.

As long as you don't hog too much bandwidth ("if you sit there streaming video forever, we may switch it off," said McNamara) the service will be free and will allow you to use the various mobile shopping apps and websites clogging up your smartphone to improve your shopping fun.

For example, you'd be able to check the Asda site to see how much you could have saved.